SECOND EDITION
MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2016
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Shraban 24, 1423, Zilqad 4, 1437
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Regd No DA 6238, Vol 4, No 103
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www.dhakatribune.com | 32 pages | Price: Tk10
Hasnat-Tahmid photos deepen confusion n Tribune Desk New photos of the Gulshan attack showing Tahmid Hasib Khan holding a pistol and an apparently calm Hasnat Reza Karim having a conversation with an armed terrorist on the roof of Holey Artisan Bakery have deepened confusion about the role of the two “hostages” in the July 1 terror assault. The pictures show attacker Rohan Imtiaz, an AK-22 rifle dangling from his neck, talking to Hasnat and Tahmid. Rohan was killed during rescue operation Thunderbolt that took place early on the morning of July 2. The Dhaka Tribune could not independently verify the source of the images that have been widely circulated in the media. That the body language of the two “hostages” does not display the fear one would expect in such a situation has been described by some as problematic. Moreover, Rohan Imtiaz does not appear as menacing with the pair as witnesses have described him. Witnesses have said Rohan summarily executed a foreign victim brought out of hiding, besides participating in the carnage at the restaurant, before ordering the
Hasnat Reza Karim (in white polo shirt), Tahmid Hasib Khan (in darker T-shirt) and Rohan Imtiaz (with an AK-22 hanging around the neck) are seen engaged in a conversation on the roof of Holey Artisan Bakery on July 2 morning PHOTOS: COLLECTED
Five financiers behind terror attacks identified n Mohammad Jamil Khan
Militants are also receiving funds from some expatriate Bangladeshis through hundi
Investigating officers dealing with the Gulshan and Sholakia terror attacks have primarily identified five businesspersons for financing a new JMB group in carrying out operations and are now trying to arrest them. They have also kept under watch some people inside the country and abroad who had funded some militant groups earlier. The militants are also collecting money themselves by conducting robbery and mugging, the law enforcers say. “The militants have created a network of financiers inside the country. They are also receiving funds from some expatriate Bangladeshis through hundi [an illegal channel],” a highly-placed source in a law enforcement agency told the Dhaka Tribune. The official confirmed that they had got identities of the five busi-
nesspersons, but refused to disclose the names as they are now scrutinising the evidence. Monirul Islam, chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they had got some crucial information and evidence regarding the Holey Artisan Bakery attack, and the specific role of some persons behind it. Around six months back, detectives came to know about a militant receiving around Tk38 lakh from one of his relatives staying abroad through hundi. The militant who was later arrested by the police claimed that he had been asked to give it to another person. In investigation, it was later found that the sender was a militant financier, and for this, the law enforcers have kept the family members under surveillance. An official working with militant financing for a long period said that PAGE 2 COLUMN 3
staff to prepare a meal. By themselves, the photos present no hard evidence that links Hasnat or Tahmid directly to the attackers. Police initially said Hasnat and Tahmid were among the 34 hostages who survived the terror attack on the upmarket eatery in the heart of Dhaka’s diplomatic zone. The attackers released them moments before commandos broke into the restaurant to end the 11-hour siege. Quoting witnesses, the New York Times on July 8 reported that Tahmid had been forced by the attackers to carry a gun. It reported: “At one point, the attackers directed Mr [Tahmid Hasib] Khan to carry a gun and go with them to the roof of the restaurant, the hostages said. They said Mr Khan resisted, and to persuade him to hold the weapon the attackers fired it to show him its magazine was empty. Mr Khan broke down in tears at their insistence he take the gun, one of the hostages said, but reluctantly complied.” Another report by Guernica magazine, which also quoted a hostage, on August 5 said the gunmen forced Tahmid to hold an unloaded gun during the night and took PAGE 2 COLUMN 5